THE New Zealand train-on squad for the rugby league World Cup has swelled to 24 following the addition of seven players from the Canterbury Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys.

The Bulldogs provide five of them – forwards Greg Eastwood, Frank Pritchard and Sam Kasiano and backs Krisnan Inu and Sam Perrett, who was the leading Kiwi tryscorer in the NRL this season with 18.

The two Cowboys players added are forward Jason Taumalolo and wing Antonio Winterstein.

The national selectors – coach Stephen Kearney, assistant coach Ivan Cleary, Richie Barnett and Tawera Nikau – along with the convenor of selectors Tony Iro – will add to the squad over coming weeks as teams are eliminated from the NRL finals.